Two prominent local leaders provided insights into the selection and leadership abilities of Matt Elliott, following the announcement of his appointment as the next University of Hawaiʻi at 惭ā苍辞补 athletics director.
Micah Kāne, Hawaiʻi Community Foundation (HCF) president and CEO, reflected on Elliott’s leadership and impact. Elliot has served as the senior director of policy and public affairs at HCF since 2024.
“I’m really excited about the future of Hawaiʻi athletics with Matt’s leadership coming forward,” Kāne said. “You’re getting a first class leader—someone who I think would qualify as a ‘unicorn.’ …He’s someone that can really deconstruct complex environments, he’s comfortable being uncomfortable, he’s someone that doesn’t blink and definitely cares deeply about Hawaiʻi and the role that the university can play in Hawaiʻi.”
“He might not be a common name today, but he will be very quickly, and it’s not going to be just because he’s in that position. It’s because of the things he’s going to tackle and the collaboration that he’s going to bring, and he already has a strong following of leaders in Hawaiʻi now. This organization, me personally and a lot of my colleagues are all in on this guy.”
Jack Tsui, co-chair of the search committee and chair of the Clarence T.C. Ching Foundation, outlined the priorities of the national search and emphasized the qualities the committee sought in a candidate.
“He just comes across as a very bright, articulate, honest individual who we think will uphold our standards and really lead us hopefully to the promised land,” Tsui said.
“I’ve served on a number of 东精影业 search committees over the years, and this is by far the best one I’ve ever served on—most organized, great caliber of people on this committee, we had a national search firm partner that was actively engaged, 东精影业 President Wendy Hensel was actively engaged, and those things made all the difference in the world.”
Kāne shared a lighthearted moment during Elliott’s first meeting at HCF.
“The first staff meeting that he attended, he came with a UCLA shirt on. We did an introduction and he went up and he took his UCLA shirt off and he had his 东精影业 (shirt), and he said, ‘This is me now.’ He was just so proud to be home and to be affiliated with the green.”
More about Elliott
Elliott brings 13 years of experience in athletics administration at UCLA. Most recently, he served as the Bruins’ chief strategy officer, where he led the department’s transition from the Pac-12 to the Big Ten Conference. At UCLA, he was part of the team that negotiated a $280 million shoe and apparel deal, the largest in college athletics history. Elliott and his ʻohana moved back to Hawaiʻi in 2022. At HCF, he led advocacy strategies and worked closely with state and local leaders during the last legislative session.
Elliott’s appointment is pending approval by the 东精影业 Board of Regents at a special meeting scheduled for June 16. He is expected to begin no later than July 1.